A Cut Above - The Roads Traveled

Elves aren’t the only ones bustling about right
BY MARY S. GILBERT
now. The holidays are also the busy season
for plastic surgeons. So we checked in
with a few noted ones around here
to learn what’s new and find
out how the latest cosmetic
surgery techniques can
help you look…
A Cut Above
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S H A D Y AV E
W
hile performing a mini-facelift,
the plastic surgeon uses liposuction to remove fat from the
patient’s abdomen. He then isolates and filters stem cells from
the fat—and mixes those cells
back into the patient’s own fat that’s been specially prepared
for grafting. The enriched fat graft is injected into the
patient’s face to augment areas that
have shrunk or shifted with age.
Science fiction? Hardly. It’s real-life
science—and it’s happening only in our
area.
Dr. Francis Johns of Artisan Plastic
Surgery, with locations in Greensburg
and Monroeville, is the sole physician
participating in a clinical study to test
the safety and efficacy of enriched fat
grafts for facial procedures. Plastic surgeons have used fat grafts for contour
problems for some time with moderate
success. Enriched fat grafts could be
even more effective because of the
added healing power of stem cells,
which can transform into any type of
cell the body needs for repair.
Johns is excited about the potential
implications of this new, innovative
process. “Stem cells are not only the
future of plastic surgery,” he says, “but
the future of medicine.”
This clinical trial is representative of how the field of cosmetic surgery is becoming more rooted in cutting-edge science. It also speaks to the dramatic growth in demand for cosmetic
surgery, both nationally and locally.
National statistics from the
American Society for Aesthetic
Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
help bear out this
trend. Americans
spent almost
$11 billion
H O L I D AY 2 0 1 3
last year on some 10 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures. According to ASAPS data, the top five surgical procedures in 2012 were breast augmentation (possibly
because of the increased popularity of silicone gel over saline
implants), liposuction, abdominoplasty, eyelid surgery, and
rhinoplasty.
Women accounted for 90 percent of all cosmetic procedures, with the top five surgeries last year including breast
augmentation, liposuction, tummy
tuck, eyelid surgery, and breast lift.
Among minimally invasive procedures,
the most popular included Botulinum
Toxin Type A injections and hyaluronic acid treatments (used to treat facial
wrinkles), as well as laser hair removal,
microdermabrasion, and chemical
peels.
While we’re all atwitter when
celebrities appear to have “had a little
work done,” they aren’t the only ones
turning to cosmetic surgery to enhance
their looks. Here in Pittsburgh, far away
from the Hollywood spotlight, people
are just as eager to achieve and maintain
a youthful appearance, restore parts of
their bodies they view as flawed, and
feel more comfortable and self-assured
in their own skin.
“Pittsburgh is a vibrant city for
plastic surgery,” says Dr. Dinakar
Golla of Golla Center for Plastic
Surgery, with offices in the Fox
Chapel area, Butler, McKees Rocks,
and the North Hills. But he sees differences in treatments
his patients seek compared to some other parts of the country.
“People here are more conservative than traditional plastic
surgery clients in other cities,” Golla notes. “They’re looking
for maintenance therapy and softer, less aggressive changes.”
Dr. Leo McCafferty, who runs a private practice in
Shadyside and is immediate past president of ASAPS, attributes the surge in popularity of cosmetic surgery to the fact that
people are living longer, healthier lives and staying in the workforce longer.
“Both women and men want to look as good as they feel,”
McCafferty says. “I’m not saying that cosmetic surgery is right
for everyone, but attempting to look better is an extension of
a healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and exercise.”
Dr. Dennis Hurwitz of Hurwitz Center for Plastic
Surgery in Oakland believes that natural changes in
features may not bode well for job acquisition or
retention.
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The minimally invasive QuickLift is
Brandy’s most requested facial procedure,
helping to address these effects of aging.
Known for having developed and refined his
own technique, he tightens from the sides of
the face upward rather than backward.
People typically don’t want to look like
they’ve had procedures or operations—and
they want to resume their lifestyles afterward
in short order. The field of cosmetic surgery
has responded to patients’ desires for subtlety and briefer downtimes. Lasers can remove
pigmentation, fillers plump up tissue, and
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“Looking young and at your best has
always been an asset in the job market,”
Hurwitz observes, “and cosmetic surgery
offers you that. Even younger people, especially women who don’t like a feature, continue to see the value of that. The reality is
that plastic surgery has never been more
capable of delivering a good product safely.”
The decision often rests on how a person
ages, explains Dr. Dominic Brandy, founding medical director of The Skin Center
Medical Spa, with offices in Shadyside, Mt.
Lebanon, and Wexford. For instance, heavy
brows, drooping eyelids, or under-eye bags
can make you look tired. Deep brow furrows, facial creases, and facial volume loss
can make you look angry, sad, or unapproachable.
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A Cut Above
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Exciting classes and workshop for everyone!
More Options for a
New You in the New Year
There are other ways besides plastic surgery to
enhance your appearance and look and feel
younger.
Brace Yourself
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Tooth alignment is always an option, as long as your gums and bone structure
are healthy, says Dr. Tina M. Reed, an orthodontist with offices in Squirrel Hill,
the North Hills, and Monroeville. Correcting poor alignment and a bad bite
using braces and other methods not only improves your appearance but also contributes to your overall dental health. And with some of today’s nearly invisible
treatment options, no one will even know.
tinareedorthodontics.com
Scrub a Dub
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Exfoliate from top to toe, mon ami, says certified esthetician and massage therapist Lyudmyla Andreyko, who offers an exclusive French Vichy scrub at her Fox
Chapel Day Spa. Providing total body rejuvenation, the treatment begins with a
Dead Sea exfoliation massage, which is followed by a Vichy shower delivered right
there on the table. Luxurious intensive moisturizing completes the experience,
and you arise positively glowing!
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Brighten and Whiten
Brighten discolored, stained, or aging teeth with a state-of-the-art whiting
process, suggests Dr. John W. Hart, whose Exceptional Smiles dental practice is
located in Oakland. Spend just over an hour in the office or choose an at-home
custom whitening treatment to reclaim your youthful smile. For severe stains and
discoloration, veneers, which are very thin porcelain shells bonded to the front of
teeth, will cover your flaws.
smilesbyhart.com
(Cornerstone is seconds from the Highland Park Bridge)
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neurotoxins remove dynamic lines. Doctors
also tighten both facial and body skin with
devices that use energy forms like ultrasound
(Liposonix)
and
radio
frequency
(Thermage), as well as heat and cold.
Johns believes that facial rejuvenation
technology has changed more in the past 10
years than any other aspect of cosmetic surgery. People wanting facial rejuvenation at
ever-younger ages prompted the evolution of
less-invasive mini facelifts, with shorter procedure and recovery times.
Drs. Jeffrey Antimarino and Theodore
Lazzaro of Aesthique Plastic Surgery &
Medispa, with locations in East Liberty and
Greensburg, agree that there’s been a move
from the pulled-tight face and frozen forehead results to a more balanced, natural
look. Their patients want to look like they
did a few years ago without drastic changes.
Baby boomers especially want to achieve a
refreshed look and maintain it.
“Our patients do things earlier and in
smaller quantities, such as having Botox
treatments in their 30s instead of their 40s,”
Antimarino says. “Fifteen years ago, the average age for a facelift was 58 to 62. Now it’s
48 to 52.”
With the advent of weight-loss procedures like bariatrics, body contouring surgery has also become much more relevant
and popular. Hurwitz, who is a specialist in
body contouring and lectures worldwide
about his techniques, says it’s quickly
becoming a subspecialty of plastic surgery.
Arm lift surgery has also seen rapid
growth. This procedure reshapes the under
portion of the upper arms so they’re tighter
and more toned, a frequent problem area following weight loss. Even those who haven’t
lost weight undergo this procedure because
they don’t like the contours and toning of
their arms owing to age or heredity.
Another common procedure is the
“mommy makeover.” With the stretching
and sagging of skin caused by childbirth,
many women opt for abdominal and breast
procedures—including breast enhancements
and lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks—to
reclaim their pre-baby shapes.
Brazilian Butt Lift surgery is a trend
designed to enhance curves, while adding
volume and fullness to your rear. It begins
with liposuction to remove fat from elsewhere on the body, like the abdomen,
H O L I D AY 2 0 1 3
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which is then prepared and injected into
the buttocks.
McCafferty points out that not everyone
is a candidate for liposuction. For those
interested in non-invasive body contouring
procedures, CoolSculpting uses cooling
technology to eliminate fat and is federally
approved for several body areas.
Using multiple, complementary techniques to help address the impacts of aging
can be another solution. For instance, Golla
says he can combine Liposonix technology
and Thermage treatments instead of liposuction to avoid an incision. Operating on multiple areas of the body simultaneously can
also mean cost reductions and less downtime, although medical safety and prudence
need to trump all.
Another focus is skin care, and aestheticians at on-site “medi-spas” offer a menu of
treatments and experiences to serve different
ages and stages of life. They rejuvenate and
nourish skin with a vast array of products
before and after a facelift, as well as treatments like massage for longer-lasting effects.
They also counsel patients to adopt healthy
habits, such as drinking more water (Golla’s
No. 1 piece of advice), eating fresh vegetables for their antioxidants, avoiding heavy
cream and meats, avoiding sun exposure
without sunscreen, and quitting smoking.
It behooves those considering a physical
change to do their homework, keep their
expectations realistic, and try to sort through
what’s marketing and what’s real. The doctors offer these recommendations:
• Go to surgeons with board certification
in plastic and reconstructive surgery and
accredited facilities.
• Demand to see before and after photos.
• Be cautious of the no-downtime
“lunchtime procedures.” They might
seem enticing, but the results don’t
often last.
• When doing online research, pay more
credence to physician peer reviews and
national evaluation studies than to rating services that offer unfiltered comments.
• Find a surgeon you feel comfortable with
(including the staff and environment)
and who is respectful and responsive.
• Know that a person’s response to treatments is individual, variable, and
unpredictable.
In the end, cosmetic surgery can do wonders, but it does fall short of miracles. “We
can turn back the clock, not stop it,” Lazarro
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says.
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S H A D Y AV E
For More
Information…
Aestique Plastic Surgery
& Medispa
aestique.com
American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
surgery.org
Artisan Plastic Surgery
artisan-plasticsurgery.com
Golla Center for
Plastic Surgery
gollaplasticsurgery.com
Hurwitz Center for
Plastic Surgery
hurwitzcenter.com
Leo R. McCafferty, M.D.,
F.A.C.S.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
mccaffertymd.com
The Skin Center
Medical Spa
theskincentermd.com